[dba-SQLServer] [AccessD] A real puzzler

[John W. Colby]

For the last several days I have been flogging away at the system 
(performing real work), causing the system to stay active.  All cores 
running, 75 (out of 80) GB used for SQL Server.  No reboots during that 
entire time.  And yet:

Critical    8/4/2015 6:56:10 AM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/4/2015 4:42:07 AM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/3/2015 10:04:36 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/3/2015 5:32:06 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/3/2015 2:22:15 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/2/2015 3:29:33 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/2/2015 11:21:46 AM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/2/2015 10:51:30 AM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    8/2/2015 7:17:21 AM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/31/2015 11:50:45 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/31/2015 1:05:39 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/30/2015 10:11:57 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/30/2015 4:59:26 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/29/2015 2:32:50 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/28/2015 5:20:38 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/28/2015 12:12:57 PM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/28/2015 4:15:38 AM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)
Critical    7/28/2015 2:47:12 AM    Kernel-Power    41    (63)

WEIRD!!!

Notice no pattern in number of events per day, nor time of day. There is 
no memory dump being created, the system just reboots as if the power 
was turned off and back on.  When I was in the room with it, (several 
years ago) the system would beep as it rebooted.

Here is the last such event:

Log Name:      System
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date:          8/4/2015 6:56:10 AM
Event ID:      41
Task Category: (63)
Level:         Critical
Keywords:      (2)
User:          SYSTEM
Computer:      Azul
Description:
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error 
could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power 
unexpectedly.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
   <System>
     <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" 
Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
     <EventID>41</EventID>
     <Version>2</Version>
     <Level>1</Level>
     <Task>63</Task>
     <Opcode>0</Opcode>
     <Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
     <TimeCreated SystemTime="2015-08-04T10:56:10.006809600Z" />
     <EventRecordID>270735</EventRecordID>
     <Correlation />
     <Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
     <Channel>System</Channel>
     <Computer>Azul</Computer>
     <Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
   </System>
   <EventData>
     <Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
     <Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
     <Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
     <Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
     <Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
     <Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
     <Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
   </EventData>
</Event>

John W. Colby

On 8/8/2015 7:57 AM, James Button wrote:
> Guest that!
>
> Re memory diagnostic - I have found with past experiences of accelerating
> frequency of shut-downs, that the system didn't get a chance to record any
> events.
> And memory checks showed no problems - providing the rest of the system wasn't
> being stressed.
>
> One system I found that removing a memory module - any of them stopped the
> shutdowns, and I eventually 'bodged' the system by increasing the memory refresh
> by a cycle. It was an old system and a 'new' memory module was, being old tech,
> horrendously expensive
> That worked for several years, and eventually management agreed the system was
> too slow - as in users kept complaining about the system's response, so we were
> actually allowed to BUY a new one!
>
> JimB
>